Saturday, July 4, 2009

We've come to the fifth and final designer of our 'Design By 5' series of interviews! I had the pleasure of attending an interior design seminar led by Ramsin Khachi of Cityline fame, and spent time chatting about interiors with him. Ramsin was charming and friendly, and was kind enough to contact me after our chat with additional information for the interview.

First, some background - Ramsin's endeavour in television began when his daughter's "princess" bedroom, which he designed and built in 1999, was featured on Cityline. Since then, he's made regular appearances on City TV's Cityline and Breakfast Television, dispensing common-sense advice on home improvement projects, and also bringing the hottest in home products and gadgets to viewers.

Ramsin's daughter Brianna's 'princess' bedroom.

Ramsin is principal of Khachi Design Group and its sister company Khachi Interiors Inc. located in Oakville, Ontario, specializing in both residential and commercial projects. Known for unparalleled integrity for quality and extensive knowledge for construction, Ramsin has grown a one-man construction company into a full service design/build firm, and he's recognized as a leader in his field. He is a frequent lecturer at public forums and to professional organizations such as 'IDS' and The Ontario Home Builders Association, where he also judges annual award entries for all of its members.

Find out more about Ramsin in a great article from West of the City Magazine by clicking here. As a devoted husband and father, family is a huge priority for Ramsin. He shares his design talents with other families for charity, creating room makeovers for children with life-threatening illnesses through the 'Make-A-Wish' organization.

And now, the interview:

Housewears: The HRTC (Home Renovation Tax Credit) allows Canadians to save money on home renovations until February of 2010, so what renovations would you suggest a homeowner do for $10, 000 to create a 'wow' factor?

Ramsin: There are all kinds of amazing wallpapers out right now, and that's a great way to create a statement! Here are 3 wall coverings I like from the Maya Romanoff Collection.

Housewears: What are some of your favourite materials to utilize in a bathroom renovation?

Ramsin: I love many of the latest natural stones as well as the porcelain tiles. The high polished look in both is very hot right now. Two of my favourite stones are Calacatta marble and Eramosa limestone.

Vein cut Eramosa limestone from Stone Source.

A photo of a recent bathroom project by Khachi Design Group, with a stunning Calacatta marble floor.

Housewears: Ramsin, you're known for enlightening people about the latest and greatest gadgets and technology for the home- what's hot in bathrooms?

Ramsin: I just returned from the Hans Grohe Aquademie in Atlanta, and had the chance to personally try all of the new Hans Grohe products. One of the new amazing products in the Raindance E shower head.

There's also some fantastic electronic thermostatic systems for showers such as the Ondus by Grohe,

And the Hansgrohe Rainbrain. Keep your eyes open for some great new innovations and designs.

I'm also really excited about two other technology systems for the home, Sonos, and Schlage'sLink. Sonos is a multi-room, multi-source audio system for the home, an amazing wireless system at a very affordable price. Go to http://www.sonos.com/ for more information.

Schlage's Link is an interactive keypad lock using z-wave technology to provide secure remote access and control of the lock....you can lock your doors from your cell phone! This is a great way to provide a simple means of creating an automated home. For more information on this product, visit http://www.schlage.com/.

Housewears: These products sound incredible! In terms of colour, what are your favourites in paint colours right now?

Ramsin: I like neutrals, specifically grays, and some of my newest favourites are Benjamin MooreThunder (AF685) - a soft gray, Edgecomb Gray (HC-173),Natural Linen (CC-90), and on the bold side, Black Beauty (2128-10), Black Bean Soup (2130-10), and Metropolis (CC-546). All are from Benjamin Moore.

Benjamin Moore's Edgecomb Gray, HC-173

Housewears: What exciting projects are you currently working on?

Ramsin: As you know, Jill, we're working on the Dove Spa project, and we've just completed the second location at Yonge and St. Clair in Toronto. A third location is being considered for Bloor West Village, and there are plans for building 50 Dove Spa locations across Canada. We've also completed a state of the art 'medical office of tomorrow', with paperless office technology and HP touchsmart touchscreen computers. We're also looking into adding to our own office with a retail furniture and accessory showroom and a retail innovative product website.

Thanks so much, Ramsin, for sharing your ideas with us! Here are more photos of Ramsin's wonderful work to enjoy!

A photo of a lounge inside Dove Spa.

Dove Spa photos above and below.

Click here and type in a name under the new"Search Housewears Blog" icon on the right to find Housewears' interviews with the other 4 Canadian designers - Sarah Richardson, Tommy Smythe, Emmanuel Belliveau, andWilliam MacDonald.